I understand that ashtrays are still installed in (some?) aircraft washrooms, to prevent illegal smokers using the trash bin instead ... and thus starting a fire. I’ll check that next week, as I have a couple of sectors.

Of course, the presence of an ashtray is NOT an invitation to smoke in the washrooms ... BA make it very clear it is prohibited, and the crew mention the presence of smoke detectors. ;)

Luca Brasi.


Please. As someone who was once assigned a non-smoking room in which the previous guest had smoked, don't. It's unnecessarily selfish and inconsiderate.


You need to travel outside of the U.S. more. Try Russia, for starters.

My comment was, of course, whimsical. We are nice people, honestly! :)

Anyway ... back to the Cleaning Fee issue.

While I am not a fan of either, there is a significant difference between marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke - at least for me.

If someone is smoking tobacco cigarettes on a balcony I'll suck it up and deal with it while I'm on my balcony whether the hotel allows it or not.

If you are smoking marijuana on the balcony, I'm in the camp of calling the front desk and insisting the hotel take action. A couple of years ago, I had a nice upgraded room at the Sheraton Waikiki for NYE fireworks. There was no way for our group to enjoy the fireworks with the room below smoking marijuana - suffice it to say, I called the front desk as did other rooms.

As far as a cleaning fee - well, I wasn't there - however, I don't think marijuana smokers realize just how much that smell absorbs into clothing, hair, skin, etc. So while bedding gets changed for the next guest (hopefully) I can see situations where that smell lingers in the room which may, or may not happened in this situation.

I’ve seen plenty of those Customs and Police programmes on TV where the smell is evident, not just to sniffer dogs but normal Police and Customs staff.

Huge business opportunity for a hotel to corner a large market by allowing cannabis smoking on balconies, or rooftop garden. Someone could make a mint in Vegas.
Not even necessary to allow tobacco, since there's plenty of alternatives (including the Cosmopolitan).

All very nice for Vegas, which we would NEVER consider as a destination. But any establishment that allowed some facility for smokers (no, not in the car park) could attract a surprisingly large amount of business IMO. Hilton chain going universally NoSmo has lost them a lot of our regular business across the USA.

Glad to have that confirmation. I knew I wasn’t completely stupid! :)

I'm a smoker too and specifically enjoy smoking on my balcony when allowed to. I also do take into consideration others sitting on their balconies and I find it hard to believe that people find it that horrific with others "nearby" ... understanding if they are literally beside them then I get it! We don't smoke in our house and wouldn't expect to smoke in a room nor would we. If we are outside in the hotel area we will specifically move away from people especially in the front door area.

I love the comment earlier about how people can stand the toxic diesel fumes from engines running on the streets! LOL - The world along with people have gotten crazy and I for one can't stand it. kinda something like the recent french couple in Quebec who sued Air Canada recently because the seat belt only said "LIFT" in English and because we are a dual language country they are miffed about it and actually won a settlement. Unbelievable.

When we stayed at a Courtyard hotel in upper New York, there is a "non smoking" sign posted on the balcony. Even if there is no sign near balcony, do not assume that you can safely smoke there. Most hotels these days are non-smoking all around it.

I live in a condo where we voted to amend the HOA rules to implement a no-smoking policy throughout our building, even inside an owned unit.

Unfortunately, there is someone nearby who goes out on the balcony to smoke. It's not clear to me which balcony it is but I have to close all my windows when this person is smoking. I'm not the only one with this issue ... the smoke from this person impacts a couple of different floors and multiple units and there are multiple complaints but its difficult to see which unit its coming from.

So ... its unlikely you'll be able to see all the people subjected to your smoke when you're on the balcony. In the hotel, people are paying for their rooms and shouldn't have to deal with someone who wants to smoke in a different room.

Those people might want to think about selecting hotels that prohibit smoking on balconies.

Even in an owned unit? You mean people are seriously told what they can and cannot do in their own home that they have bought?